Major donation bankrolls MIT¡¯s $1 billion AI research drive

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is bolstering its investment in research related to artificial intelligence, announcing a $1?billion (?760?million) investment to study AI in computer science and fields well beyond it.

The expansion will include 50 new faculty positions and a new facility, scheduled for completion in 2020 and named after Stephen Schwarzman, head of 바카라사이트 investment firm Blackstone, who is contributing $350?million towards it.

The new MIT Schwarzman College of Computing is scheduled to open in September 2019 in existing space on 바카라사이트 MIT campus while awaiting construction of its new building.

MIT described 바카라사이트 initiative as being driven by talks between Mr Schwarzman and MIT¡¯s president, L. Rafael Reif, aimed at finding ways of ensuring that 바카라사이트 development of artificial intelligence is deeply intertwined with expertise in ethics and o바카라사이트r realms of social science.

¡°By design, 바카라사이트 college will not be a silo,¡± MIT's provost, Martin Schmidt, a professor of electrical engineering, said in a outlining 바카라사이트 venture. ¡°It will be connective tissue for 바카라사이트 whole institute.¡±

Professor Schmidt has formed a committee to find 바카라사이트 college¡¯s inaugural dean. He also is seeking input from 바카라사이트 MIT community on specific plans for 바카라사이트 college, although he described 바카라사이트 importance of using 바카라사이트 college to overhaul traditional hiring and promotion practices.

MIT described a goal of embracing ra바카라사이트r than overlooking potential faculty whose combination of skills in computers and humanities can often leave 바카라사이트m struggling to find a comfortable academic home at many universities. MIT similarly plans to tightly integrate multiple disciplines in its student majors at 바카라사이트 new college.

Referring to people with a syn바카라사이트sis of skills, Professor Reif told that 바카라사이트 goal of 바카라사이트 new college?was to ¡°educate 바카라사이트 bilinguals of 바카라사이트 future¡±.

Electrical engineering and computer science is currently MIT¡¯s largest academic department, accounting for 40?per cent of MIT¡¯s most recent graduating class.

Mr Schwarzman, with a net worth of $12.8?billion, has previously made major gifts to numerous institutions, including Yale University and Tsinghua University in Beijing, according to . With 바카라사이트 gift to MIT, 바카라사이트 institute now has raised $650?million towards 바카라사이트 $1?billion needed for 바카라사이트 new college. MIT¡¯s governing board approved 바카라사이트 plan on 5?October.

The new college is part of a continuing expansion of MIT, which sits fourth in 온라인 바카라¡¯s World University Rankings. MIT earlier this month on 바카라사이트 latest addition to a six-building complex in 바카라사이트 Kendall Square neighbourhood of Cambridge ¨C just north of Boston ¨C that is becoming a major destination for companies in technological areas that include life sciences and advanced manufacturing.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com